Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Taking the Train Home" by William Matthews is a poignant meditation on memory, family, and the passage of time, intricately weaving the narrator's past with dreamlike reflections. The poem is divided into three distinct sections, each exploring different aspects of the narrator's experiences and emotions, all connected through the imagery of trains, journeys, and the cyclical nature of life.

In the first section, the narrator reflects on a train journey at dusk. The setting sun and the rhythmic sound of the train on the tracks evoke a sense of both motion and introspection. The imagery of telephone wires sagging and then shooting upward mirrors the undulating motion of the train and the passage of time. The line "All night I slept between the rails, a boy on a stretcher" suggests a sense of vulnerability and passivity, as if the narrator is being carried along by the forces of life, unable to control his path.

The metaphor of feeling "like a fish" as alfalfa and cows peer in from outside the train window underscores the sense of being observed and isolated, as if the narrator is in an aquarium, separated from the world by a barrier of glass. The comparison of dawn's arrival to a fly swarming against a bare light bulb, "like a heart attack," intensifies the sense of unease and inevitability. The impending arrival in Cincinnati at 7:15 signals a return to reality, a confrontation with the familiar yet irrevocably changed.

The second section shifts to a childhood memory, with the narrator reminiscing about a trip to a roundhouse in Sharonville with his grandparents. The nostalgic tone is palpable, as the narrator recalls the distinct details of the experience, from the feel of soot and cinders underfoot to the sight of the charred roundhouse ceiling. The vivid description of the environment conveys a sense of wonder and awe that accompanies childhood experiences.

The narrator's fantasy of living in a roundhouse, likened to a lighthouse, reveals a child's imaginative aspirations. The imagery of the moon steaming in over the sea and the idea of setting the table for breakfast before bed suggests a desire for stability and routine, perhaps a longing for a simpler, more predictable life. The white hair of the grandfather, "like a compass needle," symbolizes guidance and wisdom, traits the narrator wishes to emulate.

In the final section, the poem delves into a dream where the narrator is once again four years old, and his grandfather ("Pop") is alive. The dream reflects unresolved emotions and the lingering impact of loss. The grandfather's slow movements, hindered by emphysema, juxtapose the narrator's distress and confusion, represented by the act of vomiting something metallic and unfamiliar. This imagery suggests a struggle to process difficult emotions or experiences.

The dream's surreal quality intensifies as the grandfather appears to "bob over a wave in the road," symbolizing the journey toward death. The narrator's attempt to follow, hindered by his "too short" legs, captures the helplessness and inevitability of losing a loved one. The realization that "death is my father, this is my body which will fall apart" conveys a deep awareness of mortality and the finite nature of life.

The poem concludes with the narrator asleep on a train outside Red Lion, Ohio, blurring the line between dream and reality. The reflection on the body growing "antibodies to eternal life" suggests a contemplation of life's resilience and the potential for spiritual or emotional growth. The notion of "growing the lives we give away when we wake" implies that each day brings new opportunities for connection and impact, even as it takes us closer to the end.

"Taking the Train Home" is a rich, layered exploration of the human condition, touching on themes of memory, loss, and the cyclical nature of life. Matthews masterfully captures the nuances of emotional experience through evocative imagery and a reflective tone, offering a meditation on the passage of time and the enduring presence of those we have loved and lost.

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